... so here we go!

Finally, family life has developed further and away from only stomach issues. we try to adjust to everyday life with all of it`s awkward moments and misunderstandings. And not to forget, the everyday life is adjust to us.

Even though kids continues to scream Ola and Da Me Caramelos at us, we try our best to be a more natural part of the family. Hanne is doing this perfectly, having a more healthy appetite, switching from classical arabic to the local dialect Hassania, and screaming Kustr Oemrok (may God shorten your life) after the kids, when they are up to no good (so most of the time). Her family keeps on pulling pranks on her, and it seems to rub off on her. Today she brought a dead lizard to class.

Martas Haima (home) seems a bit more calm, with a thoughtfull mother and fater, and a wandering baby boy with no pants on. While enjoying tranquility, she always have her english class in mind and how they would better benifit the short time we are here. Always beating herself up about not going through the alphabet yet another time. All of these very sensible and conserned thoughts however seem to quickly disapear when spanish music comes out of a small speaker and she starts to move.

Then there is Anne Kristine, struggeling to understand both arabic and spanish. When lacking Martas enthusiastic ability to use body language, she is in so many words, getting by, stuttering trough one arabic word at the time. While feeling that she has more superfluous time than normally, she is iniciating more productive ways to use the time than to read a book (even though she has been seen reading on more than one occation). A great End of the Year show, for the english students is taking shape, and a small garden in the neighbour is expected finished in the begining of December. She is also a volunteer at the school for handicaps in Layonne. When all of this is finished, there is magically even more time! So yoga classes for family and friends are arranged, texts are written and new people are met. And in her spare time, she enjoys Dostoevskys Crime and Punishment and the company of her family.

The girls are always out looking for new adventures, meeting organisations in the camp , that is doing volunteer work. We met the Brigados de Livres, a group of young people helping by amongst other things, cleaning schools, coaching footballteams and bringing water and electricity to old, weak or poor people. We also met the organisers of Mdgei Misik, a demonstration done in the wasteland in the occupied territory, consisting of about 22 000 people in tents. We also heard about his exciting escape through 15 days in the desert and his clever way of getting over the Wall of Shame, and into the refugee camp.

On other occations adventure finds the girls. 23rd of Octobre we are told nto to move without a familymember. At 11.30 we are told by our coordinator about the kidnapping of foreign aid workers in Rabuni. How terrorists have come into the Protocolo and kidnapped two girls, spanish and italian, and shot and taken a spanish man. A change in the air happens, and a new tension is felt while listening to the radio at home. We are continuously updated, and reassured of our safety. We are also given a small group of security guards consisting of fearless familymembers.

Internet access is not an everyday pleasure, and needs full consentration when actually achieved.

















"I... You... I.... You... I... You"
Entertaining private English lessons in the house.

Afternoon family gathering with english lessons, tea, dancing and relaxing













Hanna teaching english to some of her brothers
















After a yoga lesson by Anne Kristine the night before, Alin, Hanna`s younger nephew, is very eagar to learn more!










Sunset close to where the goats are kept



















On our way to feed the goats

Det tar fortsatt litt tid aa ta paa seg melhefaen.

New families

On Tuesday all three of us got our own Saharawi family. Hanne is still in the familiy where all of us lived the first couple of weeks, while Anne Kristine and I (Marta) have moved into new families. In theory we now have one Saharawi family each, but in practice we rather feel that all of us got two new ones. The first family we lived in will, even for the two of us who have moved, still be very special. Even though only Hanne now lives there, Anne Kristine and I will without doubt come visit for a round of the sand game Sig, a friendly conversation or a cup of tea quite often. Upon arrival to the new families, it didn’t last long before they underlined that mi casa es su casa, no matter if your name is Hanne, Anne or Marta. (They are very hospitable, but do from time to time also mix up our names..)

I have moved to a young family consisting of a married couple and their one and a half year old son. The core family is small, but there are almost always some aunts, uncles, cousins or siblings around. In real Saharawi style the big family is never far away, and the tents of your relatives are usually very visable from your own tent. (Oh, sorry, from your mothers tent; by talking about your own tent you indirectly say that you are a married woman!)

After soon three weeks in the Sahara desert, we are slowly getting used to the Saharawi life in the refugee camps. Even our taste buds are starting to adapt. For every cup of tea we imagine that the amount of sugar is a bit less than in the last cup. When one of us accidentally poured coffee in the sugar cup, we did just barely notice that the coffee was a bit sweeter than usually. The heat doesn’t feel so harsh anymore and our daily routines go by without to many problems; from Saturday till Wednesday we work as English teachers in the morning, and take Arabic/Hassania lessons in the afternoon. After dark (around 7 pm) we often have different meetings or visits to Saharawis with important stories to tell. Our life in the camps is quite busy with work, school and meetings. To cope with the unbearable heat, a big motivation for us is the knowledge of us sliding down snowy hills with friends and family in the end of December. In our own country.

This is of course not representative for many Saharawis in the camps. There is not enough work for the people in the camps, and many spend days without to much content. The reality of a life in a refugee camp is not good. The conditions are harsh and the Algerian desert is not the home of the saharawi people.

It is a life that no one should have to get used to.

first week in the camps!

Nine days in, and getting used to the Saharawi life. Time flies and it feels like we’ve been here forever. Yet so much is still to be learnt. A new lifestyle, new traditions, new habits and new languages: Hassaneyya, Arabic and Spanish. The heat is overwhelming at times. The nights are tranquilizing. We sleep under the most magnificent starry sky we have ever seen. Everything about the climate is exotic and something our bodies clearly were not made for.

For about another week the three of us will stay together in the family we currently live with. We finally figured out their whole family tree yesterday: the grandparents just passed away, the parent generation consist of five siblings (one of whom is our “mother”) and we have seven sisters and brothers of ages 14 to 32 years. Our cousins live next door (meaning they sleep there, but are otherwise in our faces, on our laps, in our arms and sometimes almost on our plates!) and their ages range from 4 to 16 years. Family life takes a lot of energy, but we have never been so warmly welcomed. Our brothers walk to meet us after Arabic class when it gets dark. The little ones want us to lift them up and toss them around constantly. Everyone wants our attention. And everyone wants to help in any way they can. We couldn’t be more grateful.

We started teaching last Saturday - that’s the first day of the week here. After three tests (written, oral and listening) we were able to place our students into three classes. Marta teaches the beginners, Hanne the middle level and Anne Kristine the advanced class. Teaching is challenging, especially when students come and go (e.g. today someone had to leave because she was going to go to Mauritania with her family for 10 days), but we’re expecting more stability soon, insh allah..

Our Arabic and Hassaneyya lessons started on Saturday as well, and we feel like we’re making slow but steady progress.

More soon (i.e. next time we find internet)!

Sending big hugs to you all by the warm wind from the Sahara desert from marta, anne kristine and hanne